Almanac Horseracing: #AusJumpsRacingPreviews – Warrnambool, Sunday 6 July 2025

 

Jumps racing returns to Warrnambool on Sunday 6 July where the track is likely to be in the very soft to heavy range, so suitable for jumps racing and most jumpers. Again, we’re seeing smaller fields which to me as a jumps racing supporter and small time owner is becoming a concern. However, there is some very competitive fields and brilliant jumpers competing on Sunday and whilst I wouldn’t talk you out of backing your own judgement on the day, my thoughts are below.

 

The five jumps races on Sunday’s seven race card are highlighted by the running of the Kevin Lafferty Hurdle and Thackeray Steeplechase. Kevin Lafferty was a legendary Warrnambool based horse trainer, and Thackeray was the winner of the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool on two occasions. Both icons of the sport.

 

 

Race 1 – QX3 Sports Maiden Hurdle 3200m @ 12.40pm

Looks a race in two, 5 Farag and 7 Stockman. Both have come through strong Maiden Hurdles already this season and have the experience of those two runs now, so this sets up for a good battle. Taking a line through the Maiden Hurdle at Terang recently where they met, I’m leaning to 5 Farag here. He’s a strong stayer, handles heavy ground and has gone down narrowly to two very good jumpers in jumps races this season. 7 Stockman has also come through two strong Maiden Hurdles this season and was part of a stirring finish at the May Carnival when beaten narrowly by Through Irish Eyes and was then beaten by Normandy Bridge and Farag at Terang. He loves heavy ground and with the experience of the two hurdle starts this season should run the quinella with Farag in this. Any of 1 Balinor, 3 Bignight Rebel or 9 Topspin could run into third place. 1 Balinor is the best of those three but its hard to have him at all here after being pulled out of his last two hurdle races and the rider reporting he failed to handle the heavy ground at Terang last start. The stable is running him so I’m giving him one last chance.

 

5 Farag – 7 Stockman – 1 Balinor

 

 

Race 2 – Alex Pye Electrics 1JW Hurdle 3200m @ 1.20pm

A good race. After much back and forwards, I’m siding with 1 Bitcoin here ahead of 3 Sing For Peace and 4 Through Irish Eyes. 1 Bitcoin was impressive winning a Maiden Hurdle at Ballarat earlier this season and has run in two very strong hurdle races since, finishing second, beaten 3.75 lengths, to up and coming star jumper Loft, and then fourth beaten 4 lengths behind the proven star, The Cunning Fox. He’s placed twice from two starts on heavy ground and to me that form is good enough to win this. 3 Sing For Peace mightn’t have the best flat form of the trio but has placed twice on heavy ground and after defeating the handy hurdler Enchanted Elle at the May Carnival ran the very good jumper Noonday Gun to two lengths at Sandown, with Normandy Bridge finishing third in that race. 4 Through Irish Eyes beat Stockman in a stirring finish at the May Carnival and has since been kept up to the mark with three very good flat runs. He’s only seen heavy ground on one occasion and was unplaced.

 

1 Bitcoin – 3 Sing For Peace – 4 Through Irish Eyes

 

 

Race 3 – Carter Group Kevin Lafferty Hurdle 3200m @ 2pm

A very good race. 2 Loft, in the hands of Shane Jackson, has taken all before him over hurdles to date this season and looks a star in the making, but this is by far his toughest assignment over jumps. He won under a stranglehold at the May Carnival around this course and whilst he hasn’t won on heavy ground that shouldn’t be an issue for him. He has very good soft ground form and has been kept up to the mark for this with a very good flat run at Flemington and a hurdle trial win at Warrnambool on 16 June. Tom Ryan will give him the run of the race here from barrier two in the small field and he can win again. 3 Nassak Diamond is a very strong stayer, is two from two over hurdles, loves heavy ground and she’ll certainly be the testing material for Loft. She gets 2kgs off Loft at the weights and is sure to have been prepared by Patrick and Michelle Payne to be ready to keep her unbeaten tag over jumps here, but only one of them can. Any of the other four acceptors could run into third and wouldn’t surprise me but I’m going with 5 Normandy Bridge for third. Comes here off a good Maiden Hurdle win at Terang, will set the pace and handles heavy ground. 5 Enchanted Elle is a runner I’ve also got a lot of time for, and she backs up quickly here after pulling up with an issue when second as favourite at Casterton last Sunday and featuring in the Stewards Report.

 

As mentioned, this sets up to be a very good race.

 

2 Loft – 3 Nassak Diamond – 5 Normandy Bridge

 

 

Race 4 – Warrnambool Sheetmetal Mark Primmer Memorial Steeplechase 3450m @ 2.40pm

A race in two for mine, between 1 Prismatic and 2 Noonday Gun. They quinella it but in what order is the tough question. I expect Noonday Gun will be favourite, even though he’s making his steeplechase debut, but I’ve just got this inkling that Prismatic can roll him. Prismatic ended up too far out of his ground in a solid Maiden Steeplechase last start at Terang and seemed awkwardly placed for much of the race with nowhere to improve until the race was over. Fabalot got out in front and made his own luck and the running and once clear Prismatic just couldn’t run him down. That shouldn’t happen here in the smaller field. Jordan Hart will claim 3kgs, meaning Prismatic will get weight off Noonday Gun to help offset the rider inexperience in comparison to Tom Ryan on Noonday Gun, or Will Gordon who rode Prismatic last start. He races well here as shown when second to Jekyll’n’hide, giving him 5.5kgs, at the May Carnival and he handles heavy ground. 2 Noonday Gun, debuting over the bigger jumps here, will certainly be the hardest to beat. He’s three from three over hurdles and trialled around the course here back in mid-June when second behind champion steeplechaser, Stern Idol. 3 Field Of Lights returning to jumps racing here goes in for third. He’s in the strong Symon Wilde jumping stable, is a good stayer who has raced well over hurdles and handles heavy ground.

 

A small field but that looks a nice trifecta.

 

1 Prismatic – 2 Noonday Gun – 3 Field Of Lights

 

 

Race 5 – Hammonds Paints Thackeray Steeplechase 3450m @ 3.20pm

Hard not to make champion jumper 1 Stern Idol the top selection here. He’s proven around this course, handles heavy ground, will make his own luck out in front and meets 2 Leaderboard at the same weight differential for beating him by just under one length at their last start. Some will disagree but I think Stern idol is even better suited here at the 3450m than he was last start at the 3900m. 2 Leaderboard and 3 Fabalot will both be hard to beat and as both have raced on pace previously they could make it interesting for Stern Idol in the early to middle stages of the race. Fabalot particularly likes to roll along in his races. Stern Idol has been a horse of mine, but I thought Leaderboard could beat him last start, mainly because of the weight differential, and I was wrong. Possibly Leaderboard could have taken the race up to him a little earlier with no weight on his back but really Stern idol beat him fair and square and so I can’t tip against him here. The more experienced steeplechaser, Leaderboard, although he fell here at the May Carnival, goes in for second with the locally trained Fabalot in for third. I think those three will be too good for their other two rivals.

 

1 Stern Idol – 2 Leaderboard – 3 Fabalot

 

Safe jumping.

 

Gamble Responsibly. Chances are you’re about to lose.

 

 

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